Thirteen people died and 30 were wounded at Ft. Hood Military Base in a shooting rampage at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 that officials believe was carried out by Army psychiatrist Major Malik Nadal Hasan who was about to be deployed to Iraq.
As of press time on Friday, Nov. 6, there were no conformations of any Houston County residents or relatives of residents involved in the incident.
Hasan was initially reported to have been killed but Lt. Gen. Robert W. Cone told a late-night news conference that the suspect was wounded and in custody.
Two other soldiers were taken into custody but were later released. Hasan's cousin, Nader Hasan, reportedly told ABC late Thursday, "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events at Fort Hood today. We send the families of the victims our most heartfelt sympathies," the statement read.
"Nidal was an American citizen. He was born in Arlington, Va., and raised here in America. ... Our family loves America. We are proud of our country, and saddened by today's tragedy."
According to news reports Hasan allegedly opened fire and killed 13 people on the post before he was shot several times. Among the wounded was a female police officer who exchanged gunfire with Hasan.
News reports indicate Hasan's cousin Nader Hasan said that she believed it was his upcoming deployment combined with the wartime horror stories he heard from his patients that set him off.
Hasan had reportedly recently hired an attorney to help him get out of the military.
According to the suspect's cousin, Hasan was also harassed after 9/11 because of his ethnicity, and was called a "camel jockey."
According to sources, Hasan, who is either 39 or 40, attended the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD. He graduated in 2003 with a degree in Osteopathy and later finished his residency as a psychiatrist.
In 2009, Hasan completed a fellowship in Disaster and Preventive Psychiatry at the Center for Traumatic Stress.
News reports said he was promoted to major status in May.